


Big and Gaudy

by o0Anapher0o



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Christmas, Family, Found Family, Gen, Melancholy, mentions of almost all the gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:41:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21921592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/o0Anapher0o/pseuds/o0Anapher0o
Summary: On Christmas Eve 1929 Aunt P prepares for her first Christmas without Arthur.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 34





	Big and Gaudy

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason I wrote this in the present tense which made for some interesting past tense constructions. I apologize for any mistakes.  
> Happy Christmas everyone

It is strange, Prudence thinks as she makes her last control round through the house, how Christmas had seemed to shrink over the years. She remembers Christmases as a girl and even as a young wife as grand, lively occasions, with all the proper decorum of course. But there were always people, so many people.  
When she had gotten married it had been a big family celebration, the Stanleys and her own family uniting for one tumultuous couple of days a year, their respective parents, Auntie Silvia, Edwards Sister… After her dear father, god rest his soul, had passed, she had even dared to invite Margaret and her family. Happy Christmases when the Fisher girls and her own son’s had been running around the Christmas tree, chasing each other with mistletoe or playing with whatever exciting toy Father Christmas had brought that year.  
Her parents had gone first, then Edward’s. After that his sister had moved to Sydney, Prudence hasn’t seen her since the funeral; she isn’t entirely sure whose at the moment. Darling Aunt Silvia went New Years day of 1910. What had been a celebration with nearly 20 people had by then already shrunk to a modest eight, seven if they were lucky and Henry went out to drink with the scum he called friends.  
Then little Janey had been taken and a year later the Fishers had left for England. Guy had followed shortly after, first to France and then to London where it seemed he intended to stay. When her beloved Edward had passed it had suddenly only been her and Arthur.  
She has to fight the sudden tightness in her throat. She has accepted Doctor Samuels’ advice to not suppress her grief, but she will not, no she will absolutely not cry on Christmas. Arthur would not want her to cry for him on Christmas. He loved it so and it upset him to see anyone, especially her, sad on that day.  
That was why she made sure to have a proper, grand Christmas, even if it was just the two of them. Arthur was not to suffer anything less than an enormous Christmas tree and at least a dozen presents, just because everybody else had left them. It had almost become a matter of pride for her to give her son a wonderful Christmas and not let themselves be downtrodden in spite of it.  
Last year had been an unexpected reprieve. Suddenly the house had been full again for the holidays. Guy had come with his bride for their engagement and they had stayed for Christmas and New Years. Phryne had been back and had brought with her young Jane. It had been a joyous affair with much laughter and even the odd little argument. And what would Christmas be without that.  
Now of course it feels almost like a particular harsh punishment to have to go from that to this year, from the almost full house to being utterly alone. Guy and Isabella have returned to London, Phryne has taken the Baron home and hasn’t come back yet. Doubtlessly she will bring Jane to London to celebrate with her. And Arthur…  
At least it is a comfort to know that Arthur’s last Christmas was a real one; that all the family he still had was there to celebrate with him. If she could have chosen a last Christmas for him it would have been the one they had had. At least that.  
She has considered if she should follow her niece to England this year. It is where all her remaining family is after all. But the journey is long and tedious if one has a tendency to fall to sea sickness and she feels too old and tired for it. She is also not sure if she is ready to deal with Henry again so soon. Hopefully Phryne will be able to convince Margaret to come visit Australia, but if not, Prudence has long ago resigned herself to the idea that she might not see her sister again.  
And she will cope this year. She never meant for this to happen, but she has never been one to bemoan her own fate. She has invited Hilly McNaster. As it is both their first Christmas without their son’s it will help them to face it together. And she will host the Christmas Eve dinner for her servants as she has always done and her parents before.  
She smiles at the thought of it. There will be children this year, Mary’s little boy. She has packed up one of Arthur’s old toys for him, the wooden rocking horse he had gotten when he had been three. Prudence remembers how excited he was about it and how in the end it was little Janey who rode it all through the holidays because Arthur could ride it all year long but Janey would have to return to Collingwood in a few days where rocking horses were rare as unicorns.  
Little Toby is still a bit small for it, Prudence knows but she also knows that at his age, it isn’t important if gift are valuable or useful as much a it is that they are big and gaudily wrapped. And he will be big enough before long, really, the boy grows faster than Mary can let out his clothes.  
Yes, Christmas Eve at least will be jolly. She has no doubt about it. Albert and Cecil will surely be up to some kind of mischief, probably with full support of Mary and Joan. She has invited Mr Butler and Mrs Collins and her young husband, too, since Phryne isn’t here to care for them on Christmas. Hopefully they will be a tempering influence on the others. Prudence allows herself a small little smile, thinking of exactly how likely that is.  
A last check of the table decorations, every plate is suitably outfitted with a Christmas cracker and there are pretty garlands of holly in the centre. The tree, too looks exactly as it should be and there are enough apples and oranges, cinnamon sticks and biscuits for everyone to take at least one of each home. The buffet looks good, too, plates of cold roast and pickles, bowls of punch and Joan’s wonderful flummery, more biscuits and a big chocolate cake. Yes, it seems everything is ready. At least tonight everything is going to be exactly as it should be. Let Christmas begin.


End file.
